#and medusa is full into library core

[bastart13]

I find the Astoria characters a bit bland or incohesive when it comes to their designs so as some design practice, I gave them redesigns

Except for Alex. They're basically perfect

[rodneygcartoon]

The Tumblr Art Style

This is an ongoing post, just for the purpose of definition:

The Tumblr art style is basically derived from characterized mostly by males that have feminine bodies, females that have extreme manly features, girls with extreme amounts of body hair, big noses, big lips, obesity, people of color that have strong face features - who emulates 2010s Tumblr artists.

Steven Universe is a whole library of character designs, animation tricks, actions and staging that gets reused in animated features produced by Tumblr grads.

Young students want to emulate the work of old men at the end of their career.

What is obviously good about late Tumblr artists is the skill. The fact that the 9 old men can move very difficult structured character designs around at every imaginable angle is suitably impressive. That skill hypnotizes many young animators and makes them want to aim high.

However, this part of the animation is very hard to learn. What is much easier to copy are superficial aspects of the designs in 1960s Disney. The crossed eyes- the one eyebrow up/ the other eyebrow down expression.

Madame Medusa's eyes and mouth shape are copied all the time.

There should be a 50 foot statue of this character outside Tumblr because she is the website's biggest influence.

These are great drawings, but the mouth shapes are unique to the character and they are wrapped around some very complex construction.

Here's her mouth simplified and pasted on Youtuber Animator's construction.

TheOdd1sOut's lovestruck expression is also used a lot by animation graduates. It worked once, but is it the only way to show a character being lovestruck? Many think so.

The 9 old men had a lot of skill going for them but the animation and design by the time they were truly old was decadent and formulaic. They kept doing the same things over and over again - and that's what all the animators copy today- the decadent stuff, rather than the skills.

Unfortunately the people who grow up inspired by copies of copies of 2010s Youtuber Animator learn to accept these few superficial stylistic things and don't realize they are doing it. They unconsciously absorb it and regurgitate it in their films until the next generation comes along and copies their copies. Most Tumblr graduates will say there is no Tumblr Art Style, but everyone who didn't go there - especially if they have wider wider influences -can spot it instantly.

here it is in full bloom:

When web cartoonists refer to the "Tumblr Art Style" they are talking about this recycled look that is not influenced by life or even other cartoon styles. It is strictly a straight line of inheritance through a few generations starting from somewhere around the "Gravity Falls". ...Losing important genetic code with each new generation and getting staler and staler.

It has been blended with 70s Hanna Barbera, Nelvana, 2000s Newgrounds and Sheridan College in the last 20 years - and even a bit of Whippy Toons, but the basic core of the feeling - soft Youtube is Tumblr.

[havocinthebluebox]

Because we are confined and I AM A BAD BITCH, I'm asking you... All the Fairy tale inspired ask game. ALL !

Bitch, are you kidding me ?! XD

Well : LET’S FUCKIN DO THIS

Which item would tempt you most? A golden comb, an embroidered belt or a gleaming red apple?The gleaming red apple !

You know the Faerie Queen is holding her ball at dawn. What dress do you wear to seduce her? (Description or photo)Dear, you know I am subtle and everything ! So, if I really want to seduce her I am not going to wear anything but a lacey long black nightgown underneath a black velvet cape.

Are you more the type to cut off your braid and wear an armour to save your princess or the type to give up your royal privileges to run away with your beloved maid?Wearing and armour sounds dope but I don’t give a shit about royal privileges so, yep : I run away scandalously with the maid !

When picking a suitor, would you test their wit, their intelligence or their kindness? (Bonus: how?)Already answered : kindness !

You’re send out to save your kingdom from a cruel king. The journey will lead you through dangerous woods and unknown lands - what do you pack in your rucksack? Which animals would you ask to aid you on your journey?Enough emergency rations to begin with (falling from hypoglycemia in front of the evil king is the last thing I want !), bivouac kit, an enchanted map, magic potions and my tarot cards. I’d ask the crows to aid me, be my sentinels and messengers !

What stayed with you most from the fairytales you enjoyed as a child? Can be a quote, a detail, a character, a moral or a whole story ark.I discovered classical european fairytales later in my life. I’d say myths and legends had more influence on me as a child. Greek myth to be more precise, with the story of Asterion and the labyrinth.

They’re all awful, but - in which castle would you rather be imprisoned? A castle filled with your loved ones in deathly slumber and surrounded by rose hedges - a glass castle at the end of the world, threatened by the cruel coldness of sun and moon who hunger for human flesh - a castle with a beautiful garden where every path leads to the same secret chamber dripping in blood? Why?Honestly ? I don’t know why, but the glass castle at the end of the world sounds like a description of an Emperor album cover art to me. Sounds thrilling to me. Maybe I can observe the sun and moon, understand some dark untold secrets about the universe, master these secrets partially or entirely and put them into my magical craft.

What poem would a kind-hearted mortal have to recite to entice you into revealing yourself to them?La Belle Dame Sans Merci by Keats

At the faerie banquet - which food entices you to break the rule of never touching what faeries prepare to eat?I love food so much, it’s not hard to lure me with food XD. Probably some kind of faerie-made pastry or liquor !

A horrific beast has locked you in their castle. What character trait of theirs would sway you to look beyond that gruesome face and, eventually, make you fall in love?I mean, it’s not like I could easily fall in love with some nightmarish creature… (to all people that are passing by : if you are a vampire, a werewolf or another kind of creature, I am single and my DMs are open !). They know what it feels like to be rejected for what they are at core and can’t change so they never want to inflict that upon others. Plus they love books, have a big ass library so, I am not leaving this place before I have read all  the books and finally, we read together XD. 

As part of the Fae folk - What name would you tell mortals if they tried to find out yours?Annwyn

Would you rather live in the cool-glittering depths of the sea, the fragrant-green meadows or the pine-dark, blackberry-scented woods? Why?I’d rather live in the depths of the sea. I love water, I love the sea and I feel at home when I swim in it.

You’re a dragon. What do you hoard?Books ! Toi même tu sais !

You’re a witch. What is the first spell you learn?Some elemental magic using water - nooo, not how to turn it into wine ! - more like water bending !

Which painting best describes what your personal fairytale would look, feel, taste like?

La Nymphe de la Lune by Luis Ricardo Falero

A cruel king asks to marry you. Which three impossible dresses do you ask for in exchange for your hand?- A dress weaved with the very essence of dreams.- A ballgown embroidered with stars and nebulas.- Medusa’s head (so I can wear it as a breasplate on a full suit of armor. The dude better behave cause I’m gonna kick his lame ass if he tries to pull some trick on me.), good luck with this one cruel king !

Which magical item would you want to own - A magic mirror, a heart-shaped book or a golden key?A heart-shaped book. Beacause book !

Which would be worse for you - if a loved one got transformed into a fawn and was thus vulnerable and mute, or if a splinter of a devilish mirror fell into their eye and made them cold and unfeelingMetamorphosis is a brutal and cruel change but at least they could still feel things, even on a whole different scale of reality. I feel like them becoming cold and unfeeling would be worse. 

What scent would fill the air to hint that you’re near?Already answered : flowers, bergamot and pastries are my signature scent !

You leave the safety of your family’s home and go brave the dangers and adventures of the world. What do you seek - Love, Self-Fulfillment or Glory? Self-fulfillment !

I spent far too long time on this XD. But it was really fun, some very interesting questions. Thank you ! (I’ll have my revenge some day, be prepared !)

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: June 2019

Halfway through the year! Here’s how I spent the month of June.

……….FILM……….

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) Delivers on everything I’d want out of a Godzilla movie: destruction, cool monsters, and bland humans making crazy decisions. It perhaps took itself a little seriously, but that also felt on-brand, you know? Hopefully this series keeps going so we can get to a Mechagodzilla showdown.

Booksmart (2019) So good. We caught this at the end of its run so it’s a shame I can’t tell more people to go out and see it. Great bff chemistry, nuanced cast, funny, and solid direction. It felt familiar and new. Oh but as a former teacher, the Jessica Williams bits were all sorts of problematic.

Rocketman (2019) Just wonderful! The framing device of rehab wasn’t just a break from the biopic tropes, it was a crucial element towards reinforcing the main thrust of the film. Sure it goes through the rise and fall of a star, but it uses that arc to show the growth of a human. That’s why this is great. Also Taron Egerton is just overwhelmingly great.

……….TELEVISION……….

The Bachelorette (Episode 15.04 to 15.07) I worry that Hannah isn’t going to make it to the end of the season without some sort of emotional break. The slightly unhinged antics were fun at first, but now it feels like it’s bordering on full-on meltdown. I still long for a season where we’re given simple romance and good good friendships, but until then I suppose we’re stuck with Luke P. It’s really hard to watch a genuinely problematic relationship continue but hopefully he’ll be gone soon. Also that clip episode was next level.

The Magicians (Episode 1.10 to 3.08) It’s still doing a great job of acting as a sort of remix of the books. The stuff from book 2 is carrying over to the later seasons and while it’s not moving quite as briskly as the first, it’s still doing a great job of showing a different perspective and interpretation of the core plot elements.

……….READING……….

Thisby Thestoop and the Black Mountain by Zac Gorman (Complete) I put this on hold at the library thinking it was a graphic novel. Then I saw it was categorized as “children’s so I figured, knowing it was a collab between Gorman and Sam Bosma, it was an all-ages comic. Turns out it was a children’s chapter book and I loved it! Light-hearted, touching, and full of lovely illustrations by Bosma, it delivered everything I wanted in a format I wasn’t expecting. Also it’s about the adventures of a D&D-styled dungeon’s gamekeeper, Thisby Thestoop. So if you have a kid (or you, yourself) want an RPG-adjacent read, this is a great choice.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (Complete) Compilations like this are always a lot of fun and I find it interesting to pick up themes when reading a collection of myths. There’s an awful lot of punishment in Greek mythology and in reading these, I really picked up on a lot of tests. Tests of strength or drinking ability or speed and it’s all rather fascinating. I admit that Gaiman’s writing is what brought me to the book but it’s rather subdued. Very cool to read how interested in Norse Mythology he is and it adds another layer to his other books (particularly American Gods). I don’t know if I’d recommend it if you were only a fan of Gaiman’s work, but I’d definitely suggest it if you’re keen to learn more about Thor and Loki and the gang.

Motherlands by Simon Spurrier & Rachel Stott (Complete) I love bonkers sci-fi. There are giant fleshy bounty hunters, pixelated teleporting guns, tiny lizard people, and civilizations all on the backs of crabs, but at the end of the day this book is about the relationship between a mother and her daughter. Sure, both are bounty hunters, but it uses the fantastic to explore the personal and that’s what my favourite speculative fiction does best.

Black Hammer Vol. 1: Secret Origins by Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston (Complete) Think alternate Justice League trapped on a farm in an alternate reality (likely our own). It’s a family drama set in a small town and it’s really good! At first it felt like a “this is our version of Shazam! This is our version of Martian Manhunter!” but the characters are breaking away from the tropes and it’s in that deviation that the book really shines. Worth checking out.

The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo by Drew Weing (Complete) As far as all-ages comics go, this has a good range of appeal. It touches on topics like gentrification and xenophobia, but uses monsters to communicate them. The main characters didn’t really resonate with me (the POV character doesn’t get to take much action and the expert is perhaps a little cold for someone meant to show compassion for all). There’s a second volume and while I didn’t love this, I want to check out the next chapter to see where it’s all going.

……….AUDIO……….

Factually (Podcast) If you know Adam Ruins Everything (either the show, youtube clips, or the podcast) then this is a natural continuation. I’m still not sure why the transition from the other podcast to this as it feels essentially the same, so I can only assume it was a contractual or savvy business move. Also the podcast is a deeper dive into common misconceptions in the world and it has Andrew W. K. for the intro music. What more could you want? 

……….GAMING……….

Maze of the Blue Medusa (Satyr Press) We had a bit of a lull this month from me being sick, but the party continues to hesitantly explore deeper into the maze and so is running into more dangerous encounters! It’s all very exciting.

Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda (Brace Yourself Games) Having never played the original indie game (Crypt of the Necrodancer) I found it to be a steep learning curve and I died a whoooooole bunch at the start. Now I feel like I’ve found the literal (and metaphorical) rhythm of the game. Lots of fun, a great blend of new and familiar Zelda elements, and just a generally breezy game that can be very difficult. Oh also you can play as Zelda! For the whole game! 100% recommend.

Gato Roboto (Devolver Digital) Perfect bite-sized game. Three-ish hours of a cat in a mech suit is exactly what I wanted and it didn’t fail to deliver. The bosses are challenging though I admit most of the other enemies were pretty chill. Worth the modest cost and the whole thing was a lot of fun.

And that’s it! As always, feel free to send me any recommendos as I’m always looking for something new to watch/read/hear/play!

Happy Sunday.

[gamerszone2019-blog]

IGN's Top 10 Free-To-Play Games on Steam

New Post has been published on https://gamerszone.tn/igns-top-10-free-to-play-games-on-steam/

IGN's Top 10 Free-To-Play Games on Steam

Gaming can put major stress on your wallet and even with seasonal Steam sales, it never feels like there’s enough money in the world to try out all the games we want. Luckily there are a ton out there that don’t cost anything! We’ve been digging into the Steam library and found ten exceptional free to play games currently available, so save your cash.

IGN’s Top 25 Modern PC Games

10. Brawlhalla

Initial release date: November 3, 2015

Brawlhalla could be described as Smash Bros lite. It’s a platform fighter that incorporates powerful weapons and gadget drops that change your playstyle according to the specific item. One minute you’ll be fighting with grenades, then the next you’ll be riding a rocket spear into someone’s face.

Play in ranked or casual matches that support 1v1, 4v4, and anywhere in between. There’s even an alternate party mode with completely different objectives to mix things up. The roster of 46 legends can be bought with earnable in-game currency in addition to real money, but there are always 8 legends available for free every week in rotation.

Aside from the cute sprite art and animations, every legend has different stats that help to make each feel unique. For example, my favorite Legend, Fait, has increased speed and strength but lowered dexterity and defense. Barraza, on the other hand, is more of a tank with slower movement but a high defense stat. Brawlhalla has something for everyone and might have you coming back with friends to play once you get your first taste of victory. – Stella Chung

9. Team Fortress 2

Initial release date: October 10, 2007

Team Fortress 2 is the grandaddy of hero shooters. But don’t play it for a history lesson. Play it because it’s fun, stylish, unique, and still boasts around 50,000 concurrent players every single day. Choose from nine of the most creative and fundamentally dissimilar classes ever crammed into the same first-person shooter to accomplish objectives with the rest of your ridiculous 16-player team.

Don convincing disguises, eat a sandwich and even drench your enemies in piss. If the brilliant core game modes are too fun for you then why not try the cooperative, wave-based Mann v.s Machine mode? And much like CS:GO, the TF2 community has taken it upon themselves to create even more wacky modes like prop hunt, surf, and trading servers where players argue over who has the most valuable hat. – James Duggan

8. War Thunder

Initial release date: November 1, 2012

War Thunder is an absolutely massive military vehicular combat game, featuring hundreds of vehicles from multiple eras and more than half a dozen nations. You’ll progress through the tech tree of your chosen nation’s arsenal of aircraft, tanks, or naval warships.

Choose your preferred arena, be it ground, land, or sea and queue into matches of up to 32 players. Good news if you’re a Mil-Sim buff: War Thunder offers realistic and simulation variants of the normal arcade mode that boast more realistic damage and flight models in addition to things like having to return to an airfield to reload. There’s certainly a lot of progression to work through, but even at low levels, there’s plenty of pretty fun to be had. – James Duggan

7. Paladins

Initial release date: September 15, 2016

Paladins is more than a little similar to Overwatch, but it does some interesting things of its own. What’s unique about Paladins is that it incorporates a card deck system for your champion that grants amplified attributes and enhanced or modified skills that allows you to build towards a specific playstyle.

All cards are free to use for all Champions which opens up customization to a higher degree. There are three major game modes: Siege (a capture the objective and push the payload type), Team Deathmatch (5v5), and Onslaught (a capture the point objective).

And of course, Paladins boasts a roster of 41 playable champions each with unique abilities. For example, my personal favorite, Seris, is a support character who directly heals teammates but is also able to hold her own in a fight since dealing damage heals her. My favorite ability of hers is that she can slip out of dicey situations with her Shadow Travel which grants immunity from damage for a limited amount of time. Matches aren’t absurdly long and getting kills feels super rewarding, especially if you’re trying a Champion you’ve never played before. – Stella Chung

6. DOTA Underlords

Initial release date: June 20, 2019

Dota Underlords is a Valve-created, standalone version of the popular “Auto Chess” mod for Dota 2. At a top-level, Underlords is a deckbuilding tactics game. And while it isn’t exactly easy to pick up at first, it becomes dangerously fun and addictive once you have a few games under your belt.

Each match pits eight players against one another to see who can build the best team of random units drafted from a shared pool. You’ll have to consider unit placement, synergies, stats, effects, your opponents’ strategies as well as properly manage your gold and experience in order to achieve victory. Every match is a brand new opportunity to try a new and fun build, which makes the prospect of playing just one more hard to refuse. – Miranda Sanchez

5. Smite

Initial release date: March 25, 2014

MOBAs can seem daunting to approach but Smite makes it easy to jump right into the thick of it. Most MOBAs are isometric point and click, but Smite is actually unique in that it’s played in third- person. Gods, the roster of playable characters, are deities, immortals, and mythical creatures from ancient mythology from all over the world.

You can play as Medusa, Ra, or even Cupid if you want. The classic game of Smite is a 5v5 but there are other game modes with different rules and objectives that you can choose from. My personal favorite is Joust, a 3v3 mode that’s on a one-lane map with the goal of destroying the enemy’s defenses and their Titan. Joust, along with a few other game modes, usually last about 15 minutes which makes it super fun and easy to hop into a match without worrying about spending a half-hour in one game. Smite is a fresh take on MOBAs and is beginner-friendly to players who might be unfamiliar to the genre. – Stella Chung

Initial release date: August 21, 2012

The Counter-Strike series has been the gold standard of competitive PC shooters for more than 20 years and the global eSports scene for CS:GO has been going strong since the Major Championships were founded in 2013. While CS:GO’s biggest draw is undoubtedly its core bomb defusal and hostage rescue game modes, it also has a plethora of other modes to choose from including the addicting gun game and a new battle royale that went live back in December.

In addition to the official game playlist, CS:GO allows the community to build private modded servers that allow for a variety of creative game types. Some of these custom servers help you with your aim, while others house surfing obstacle courses, and some even create bizarre story campaigns that you just have to experience for yourself. – Stella Chung

3. Warframe

Initial release date: March 25, 2013

From the outside looking in, Warframe can seem impenetrable. Half a decade of updates, system reworks, and ever-evolving stories have made it a complex game chock full of different mechanics to learn. While that can be intimidating at first, Warframe is so dang fun that it more than rewards the time you put into learning it.

Years of updates also mean it holds a well of content so deep you may not see the bottom even after hundreds of hours playing – all of which can be experienced entirely free, as Warframe has some of the most inviting free-to-play systems on this list. It’s a game that truly never stops getting better, and it’s well worth getting comfortable with so you can craft your own space ninja suits and bullet-jump through waves of enemies with the rest of us. – Tom Marks

2. Dota 2

Initial release date: July 9, 2013

Remember MOBAs? Though they are no longer front and center in the gaming trends spotlight, they’re still immensely popular, and Dota 2’s spot on this list is a testament to that. Dota 2 is a highly strategic MOBA with a reputation for its challenging mechanics. But, if you spend any time with it, you’ll see why people like myself have invested years in this game. Like most MOBAs, Dota 2 pits two teams of five against each other on a map divided up by three lanes.

The first team to destroy a key structure in the enemy’s base, called an Ancient (hence the name Defense of the Ancients), wins. All the matches may happen on one map with the objective the same each time, but the growing list of over 100 heroes and plenty of item combinations to go with them makes each match unique. Valve’s constant updates, some of which completely change the map and key mechanics, usually keep the meta fresh.

Dota 2 can be frustrating at times like with any living multiplayer game, but those narrow (or even crushing) wins make it worth it. Even better, it’s all completely free. All updates and all-new heroes. But if you get sucked in, you might find yourself buying cosmetics and its yearly The International Battle Pass that contributes to the event’s immense prize pool. That being said, if you’re are interested in playing, just be prepared to spend plenty of time learning Dota 2’s intricate systems and heroes. – Miranda Sanchez

1. Path of Exile

Initial release date: October 23, 2013

As of summer 2019, it’s fair to say that Path of Exile is the hands-down best ARPG on the market. In terms of post-launch support, developer Grinding Gear Games has candidly raised the bar for the genre. The most recent content update called Legion is Path of Exile’s 10th expansion.

The breadth of unique and replayable content at this point is absolutely massive with depth to match when it comes to character progression and loot. What’s more, all of this great content is free. Its monetization system is more altruistic and less intrusive than many $60 AAA games in 2019. If you’re looking for an ARPG with hundreds of hours of unique gameplay and no signs of slowing down its post-launch support in the near future then look no further than Path of Exile. – James Duggan

Source : IGN